Lined container and closure therefor



May 8, 1956 J. vNUK 2,744,655

LINED CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Sept. 22, 1955 Josef Vnu/r INVEN TOR.

United States Patent m7445655" IilNEn co1StralisinnV cLosuR-E ,T HEREFQR, Josef Vnulc, Stillpoint@ SorelyQuebec, Canada Application September 22, 1.953; 'Serial-No.,381',`624.

.1; claim. torgan-16s.),

' invention relates to`A a container andj a, closure therefor and. more specifically provid a means,.for eiciently, andeffectively sealing a container and opening. the container after it has been seal'ed; l

An Object o f this invention is to provide'a container hayiug a closure which is fused thereon yby use.' off a heat ring.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container with a closure resting thereon and a heat ring which remains with the container and closure for reheating the juncture between the closure and the container thereby permitting the closure to be disjoined from the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container and closure embodying a heat ring which remains with the container wherein the heat ring may be connected to a source of electrical energy for permitting the container to be opened.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a container having a double wall at its upper end portion wherein the inner wall extends from the outer wall and engages the closure member for urging the closure member into disalignment with the container when the closure is separated from the container.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a container having a double wall construction with the inner wall extending outwardly over a portion of the outer wall thereby forming a pouring spout for the contents in the container.

An important object of this invention is to provide a container enclosure which is simple in construction, easy to assemble and disassemble, involving a new method of scaling containers and inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a group perspective showing the container, the heat ring and the closure member;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the retaining or assembly ring;

Figure 3 shows the container, heat ring and closure in position ready for assembly;

Figure 4 shows the structure of Figure 3 with the assembly or retaining ring in position bridging the juncture between the closure and the container; and

Figure 5 is a. view similar to Figure 4 showing the closure, heating ring and container fused together and the retaining ring removed.

Referring now specifically to Figure l, it will be seen that the numeral generally designates a container having an outer wall 12, an inner wall 14, an upper end 16 and vertical projections 18 of the upper edge 16. It will be noted that the projections 18 are elongatedV and spaced from each other and the width of the projections are less than the width of the outer wall 12. A heating "ice . 2y ring=f20jhaving openings 22 therein for receiving the projections 1'8 is provided with a suitable electrical conductor24 connected to a conventional electric plug 26 for supplying-electrical energy to the heating ring 20. A closure member-28` has an upper member 30 forming a closure and:l a: depending vertical wall 32 which is adapted tobe positioned: ont the container 10 thereby closing the container.

Referringnow specifically to Figure 2, itwill be noted that a retaining. ring 34 is provided for assembling the container 10, heatingA ring 20 andthe closure 28Al .inv a manner described hereinafter. The assembly or retaining ring 34 is a cylindrical member having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the container and closure. i

Referring now specifically to- Figures 3-5 it will be seeny that'thel inner wall 14 issecured to the outer Wall I112r and projects inwardly and then curves back outwardly from'theoutenwall with the upper end 36 on the inner wall llt-abuttingfthe inner surface of the vertical porrtion.3 2'tofthel closure 28. In its normal position, as shown in Figure 3, the end portion 36 normally urges the vertical wall 32 into misalignment with-the-outer wall 12. Theheat ring- 2,0.is positioned on the upper end 16 of the outer wall 12 with the projections 18 eX- tending through the apertures 22 in the heat ring 20. It will be noted that the heat ring is substantially coextensive with the outer wall 12 and the projections have a vertical height which is substantially equal to the thickness of the heat ring 20 thereby providing substantially a smooth upper surface across the heat ling for receiving the vertical wall 32 of the closure member 28. After the elements have been assembled as shown in Figure 3, the retaining ring 34- is slipped down over the closure member 28 until it bridges the juncture between the outer wall 12 and the vertical wall 32. The electrical plug 26 is connected to a suitable source of electrical energy and the electrical resistance heating element in the heating n'ng 2t) heats the adjoining surfaces of the projections 18 and the vertical wall 32 thereby fusing the adjoining surfaces of the outer wall 12 and the vertical wall 32 to each other and to the heating ring substantially as shown in Figure 5. The container 10 and the closure 28 may be molded from polythene or any suitable plastics and the heating ring 20 may be constructed of chrome] or other electro-heating alloy and the retaining ring may be ofl any suitable metal such as stainless steel or chrome.

As best seen in Figure 1 the upper portion of the inside wall 14 will form a pouring spout when the contents of the can are to be emptied thereby preventing the contents to drip from the edge of the can. Obviously, the heating ring may be connected to a source of electrical energy in any conventional manner and the outer wall 12 may be relieved in order to receive the wire 24 when the retaining ring 34 is in position. After the closure has been fused onto the container outer wall the can and the commodity in the can is ready for sale or distribution wherever it is desirous to employ a rust-proof container. The housewife, after obtaining the sealed container, may insert the plug into a suitable household outlet and reheat the heating ring and the adjoining surfaces of the outer Wall and the vertical wall 32. The end portion 36 of the inner wall 14 will urge the vertical wall 32 outwardly into misalignment with the outer Wall 12 when the heating ring 20 has softened the adjoining surfaces suiciently to permit the surfaces to be disjoined. The force of the inner Wall due to its compression when the sealing operation was performed disjoins the adjoining surfaces thereby opening the can wherein the housewife may easily lift the closure 28 from the container 10. It will be noted that the flared inner surface of the inner wall 14 provides a vconvenient pouring spout for the Patented May 8, 1956 contents of the can or container 10. The container may be made of a transparent plastic thereby providing a view of the product inside or the container may be tinted in various shades in harmony with the commodity in the container thereby making the device more attractive and more saleable. Obviously, this eliminates the use of metal cans and further eliminates the use or' rust producing containers and the necessity for removing the contents from such containers for storing while in an open condition. This invention further eliminates the expensive and complicated seaming machines used in conjunction with metal cans and it also eliminates the use of complicated and dangerous can openers and accompanying sharp edges. This container closure is opened by merely inserting the plug into a household outlet and awaiting the disjoining of the fused surfaces.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes Will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A sealed container comprising: a plastic cylinder open at its top, spaced axially extending circumferential ribs on top of the cylinder, a plastic closure provided with a depending vertical wall having the lower edge thereof abutting the top of the cylinder, a metallic heating ring interposed between the closure and the cylinder and having slots therein accommodating said ribs, a liner in the cylinder including an inwardly bowed upper portion extending above the top of the container and having a free edge engaging under tension the vertical wall of the cover, and means on said ring whereby said ring may be heated to fuse the adjacent plastic surfaces of the closure and container together and to said ring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,343 Allen Sept. 30, 1919 1,369,919 Eliel Mar. l, 1921 1,784,216 Aldrich et al. Dec. 9, 1930 2,259,256 Maas et al. Oct. 14, 1941 2,375,386 Rick May 8, 1945 2,542,702 Prow Feb. 20, 1951 2,642,911 De Shazor June 13, 1953 2,656,090 Hamblet Oct. 20, 1953 

